More Than 400 Guests Attend Grand Opening

After three years of construction and development, Austin Executive Airport (KEDC) officially opened for business June 8.  The event was marked by a grand opening June 8th which drew more than 400 guests from around the country to the nation’s newest general aviation facility.

The $33 million general reliever airport located 12 miles northeast of Austin was planned, developed and constructed by Houston native Ron Henriksen.  Formerly known as Bird’s Nest, the airport was established in 1965.  Today, it is a first-class business aviation facility that pilots are cheering about. “This marks a significant milestone for pilots across our state,” said Andrew D. Perry, A.A.E., Vice President for Development.  “Ron has single-handedly impacted the future of aviation in the state of Texas for generations to come.”

As part of Austin Executive’s $33 million Master Plan, the airport features a variety of amenities including Henriksen Jet Center, a 27,500-square-foot premier FBO terminal building with luxurious amenities, a 6,025-foot runway and taxiway, fuel farm and a 29,000-square-foot corporate hangar which can accommodate up to Gulfstream V aircraft along with a 140 X 85 arrival canopy.

Henriksen, a former corporate pilot, found his fortune in the telecommunications business, but his passion for aviation – and his deep concern with the closing of dozens of airports nationwide - led him to first open Houston Executive Airport in 2007, built on the site of a former crop-dusting facility.  When a group of pilots approached him about opening an airport in Austin, he listened. “Until now, Austin was one of the largest cities in the nation without a general reliever airport,” said Henriksen.  “I was fortunate enough to have the resources to build the airport and I am confident that it will be a tremendous asset to the Austin area as well as our state.”

The airport is currently marketing to the aviation industry for base and transient aircraft, and aircraft maintenance, management and related businesses said Perry. “Austin Executive Airport has raised the bar on service and amenities and we welcome the chance to create long-lasting relationships with the aviation community,” he said.

FMI: www.austinexecutiveairport.com